Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

[Spectrism]

This past week was almost a total bust. I did pick up an army hip plastic canteen in case and on a web belt for $5. I really was more interested in the web belt.

I also found out I have a sharpshooter in my area. I stopped at one place right at 8:30am... and asked about coins & silver. She said someone came through 2 hours before asking the same thing.

One place, the guy was expecting his brother to bring 2 silverware sets from his grandmother's things. He got cold feet.

Another place, a girl was to sell me some silver dollars for $25 each and about 20 old quarters for $7 each. She had them at home... and she never called me. We will see if that ever happens.

Some places I find do have high prices. I see them as semi-professionals, trying to get the most for their wares. They buy & sell. I have never found any good bargains at those places. As I get to know who is "in the biz" I avoid returning to those. An ignorant seller is my best bargain source. If I don't get the deal on impulse immediately, they never follow up.... as if they begin to educate themselves and learn what value they have.... or go to a coin dealer and give their stuff away there. I think that whoever has the cash in front of them, while they have there items in hand, will get the deal. I have given my phone number out about 10 times and NEVER got a good call "when they found" the item. One place I returned to said that they sold it the next week on a tag sale instead of calling me. This shows the mentality of the ignorant seller.

In trading, most times you don't give away your hard-earned education.

Future- assets will be the value traded. I wonder if anyone will have cash to be able to buy things. If we go to a full blown depression without the fake system, bartering will be the way to aquire things. Whether a bucket or a shovel is more valuable to you today, will determine how good of a deal you got.

[horseshoe3]

I was at an auction to see a trencher sell. I noticed that a local machinery manufacturer had brought some surplus stuff. I have some machines from that company so I went over to see what they had. Turns out they had several pallets of press wheels for my planter - all new. The bearings on these press wheels go out routinely and they are $20 each. I bought 97 press wheels with new bearings for $150. If I use 8 of them - and I will - I will come out ahead. As an added bonus, I don't have to disassemble the press wheel and replace the bearing, I can just bolt on a new assembly and go. Saves time and money.

[MNeagle]

10 Dos and Don’ts of a Successful Garage Sale



Who doesn’t want to get rid of clutter and make some money at the same time? A garage sale (aka estate sale, tag sale, or yard sale, depending on where you live and how great your stuff is) could be just the thing to do both. Here are ten tips you may not know — from J. D. Roth (who writes for Time’s Moneyland blog), yardsalequeen.com, and blog.movebuilder.com:
Dos

• A group sale will draw more lookers than a one-family sale.

• “Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them?” asks Roth. Price items accordingly.

• Go to yardsalequeen.com for ideas about lettering, sign placement, and free ways to advertise your sale. (The site suggests using a brown paper bag, filling it with rocks, and taping it shut. But use big, fat, thick lettering — definitely no wispy ballpoint pen.)
• Non-holiday weekends after local paydays are the best time to schedule a sale.

• Put the nice stuff closer to the road. Place tools and gadgets out front, too, to draw men who might otherwise try to overrule their wives about stopping at your sale.

• In general, ask for 25 to 33 percent of the item’s original cost. Be less flexible about price at the beginning of the sale and more flexible at the end.

Don’ts

• Don’t let strangers into your house to try on clothes or use the restroom.

• Don’t keep money in a shoebox. Wear a fanny pack. Keep all the money in it, along with a cell phone just in case.

• No helpful calculations from customers, thanks just the same. You tote up the prices on what they’re buying.

• Don’t take your eyes off of your customers. Beware of people who switch tags. Beware of people who tell you they gave you a $20 bill when they gave you a $10. Beware of people who take things out of boxes, put them under their clothes, and leave the empty boxes behind.

http://www.rd.com/home/the-10-dos-an...l-garage-sale/

[Spectrism]

I was a little bummed out today with only about 5 tag sales listed. On my start, I saw a sign for a barn sale. Well, it wasn't really a barn sale- more like garage. Nothing I could use.... but got talking with the people about solar energy and got some good tips. They had a "free" pile.... picked up a nice big tarp and electricl standards book.

At another place I got an electric smoker for $1.

Another place- I got a box of maybe 100 polished rocks for $1.

Then I saw a little sign- a place not advertised. I had been there before and there was mostly junk there, but now the sign said: everything must go. Those are the key words to look for bargains: EVERYTHING MUST GO or MOVING SALE.

Nothing I could use out there. There was some furniture inside. I walked the house and saw kind of a trash and untouched area with some old canned foods in the basement. Checking dates, I saw that most expired over the last 3-5 years. I asked what they were doing with the canned foods. Answer: pitching it. I took it for free... about 200 pounds of it. 3 bins, one milk crate and one cardboard box. Good emergency supply. Some I will keep and some goes out. They were just glad they did not have to haul it out the the trash themselves.

Anyway- I found almost nothing that I was looking for (just one Sterling-handled knife for $1), and a few things I had no intention of directly seeking.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism; I haven’t been up to posting lately. So many things to do that I have slowed down considerably; so this is what burnout feels like. And tons of garage and estate sales tugging at me and my wallet.

I have been fortunate to have been to some estate sales at which I cleaned up. But about you and your ventures first.

Your recent experiences with sterling silver and 90% silver coins has been similar with me too. Take it a sign of the times. People are wising up as to the values of things, particularly gold and silver .

I seldom give out my phone number for a future buy. However, I do take their number for something they want to sell. This works only sometimes. You are right; if the deal can’t be made on the spot, it most likely won’t be made later. They almost never call. Also, I usually carry more cash than I need on the chance that I will come across a big deal.

You wrote that in the future “assets will be the value traded”. This is one reason that I have been buying multiples of some items such as cooking gear, gardening tools, 4 gallon buckets and Tupperware to name a few. Someday these items will be expensive and/or unavailable. Just the other day I bought a set of Wolfgang Puck cooking ware. They are expensive and look it; I paid $10 and put them away into long term storage. The Tupperware lasts forever and is dirt cheap in relation to its usefulness. Also, it is expensive if bought new. I picked up about 20 pieces with lids for a total of about $3.

And as you wrote, the deals we make now will be judged in the future whether they were wisely made or not. A smart observation there, Spectrism.

In your second post you wrote about free items at garage sales. I have found it 10 times better at estate and moving sales; the sellers are motivated by not wanting to have to haul their junk to the dump or their next home. Fencing, aluminum, copper wiring and 4’X8’ new sheets of pressed board are but a few of the free items I have picked up lately.

Your 200 pounds of free canned food was a great catch. Of course, it will need to be put first in line for consumption. Hey, did you or anybody try the free produce pickups ? I am still getting about a ton per week and I only pickup three times per week. Easy work and it saves at least a couple thousand dollars per year off the old food bill. Our four steers love it and stand by the fence like hungry puppies. Not to mention all the wonderful connections we have made in giving out this produce. This is something I had not anticipated.

It still feels strange to go into our local supermarket and totally bypass the produce section.

I am wondering just how long we will be able to find these under priced items at estate and garage sales. Remember that as time passes, the extra items folks have to sell will diminish as they are sold and worn out. So if folks can’t afford new items from the stores and used items are being bought up, where will the future items come from ? I would guess that we have maybe a year or two until many prices of used items increase significantly, perhaps approaching the new prices. Its all supply-demand dynamics. In fact, I was at two or three garage sales where the prices were almost as high as the prices in the stores. Heck, maybe it is already beginning to happen.

Picked up a set of thee four seasons Chinese mother of pearl artworks. They are three dimensional and under glass frames. Saw a single one on Ebay for a buy it now price of $1,000. I didn’t like it as much as the four I have. Value ? I don’t know but a gut feeling caused me to buy them. Price ? How about $50 total for all four ?

This was a month ago and buying this Chinese art has opened my eyes to other art bargains. Last week I found another Chinese piece of art measuring 33” X 54”, including frame. Hard to describe; it is extremely fine embriodery on white silk. An incredibly detailed grouping of about 100 exotic birds. The oriental lady who sold it to me said that she had bought it in Asia 25 years ago and had paid $500 for it then. It was so artistic and labor intensive in creation that $100 seemed a bargain. But with all art, the beauty is in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder.

In past years I have written about other art that I bought and later sold for a higher price. Sometimes double or triple. I hadn’t originally bought with this intention but by not getting overly emotional when buying, the later selling usually comes out well. Art that was $500 some 25 years ago and is now being offered for $100 may turn out to have been a great investment someday. It is the “someday” that I am concerned about; what if the currency collapses and/or we have a greater depression ? What is the value of art then ? This is why I buy hardly any art any more. The $150 I spent on art in the last months will not put a burden on my future finances. It is all a matter of proportions to our total financial picture.

An Asian lady told me to collect Chinese and Japanese art. I think that their economies have changed to such a great extent in the last couple of decades that much of their older fine art is no longer being made like it once was. Also the older arts are not being taught to the younger generations as in the past.

The highest quality older art is not being created today. I learned this through years of collecting Italian micro mosaic and pietra dura pieces. Later I collected enamel on copper paintings and learned the same rule applies. Better to have one high quality piece than ten mediocre pieces.

It may sound like rationalization but buying art or an item that pleases can be beyond monetary gain. A sort of backdoor rule applies here; If someone bought an item because they loved it, there will most probably be another who will also love it. And buy it.

Quality art and other items have the capacity to be handed from one owner to another many, many times. They are a currency of sorts in that that are valued by the perception of the buyer.

I have been to many garage sales and a few estate sales lately. The estate sales are spoiling me; there is so much to choose from and all at one location too. And prices can be dirt cheap. I picked up 189 towels, washcloths and hand towels for a total price of $5 ! They were all washed and folded. They are to be stored away for a future in which they may not be cheap or available.

There was a lady holding the estate sale and she twisted her ankle and was on crutches, My son and I helped her and she thanked us and gave us four rolls of fencing and a couple of camper kits still in their original boxes. I did have to buy a Coleman two burner stove for $10 however. She also gave us two 4X8 sheets of pressed board. Don’t know what I will use them for but I’m sure they will find a place in time. Also given a roll around cart for hauling stuff from the barn to the house.

I recently picked up 170 canning jars for a total price of $5. I don’t think I will need this many additional jars but at this price and with the storage room I have, it seems like a good idea.

I almost got a player piano for free but the mover was there and wanted $220 to haul it to my house. It needed work but was cosmetically in excellent ( originally typed excrement; damn spellchecker) condition. I turned it down. Why ? Well, I would be $220 in the hole. It is bulky. It would need work and therefore more expense. I don’t know what it would sell for in our depressed market. Too many negatives.

Lately I got a complete pipe thread cutting setup with vise. I don’t need it right now but equipment that can be used in different trades in order to have something to offer others. A small part time business; who knows. It cost me $100 and still seems like a bargain.

My son got a forge with two antique hand cranked blowers; practically a giveaway. When do you ever see a forge for sale ? This is the first one I have ever seen and I found it in the local newspaper garage sale. My son had been asking about a forge and this showed up a few weeks later. I know, it sounds unbelievable but this has been happening enough that it is almost spooky.

Okay, another surprise was finding a pair of new oak handles that fit an antique plow. Mine were original and had broken a few weeks ago. Just one coincidence after another.

And another thing. Don’t bypass the little items. A Swing-A-Way can opener can cost $7 or $8 bucks new plus tax. I have 3 and paid only a total of 50 cents; the first one was 50 cents and the others were free. So about $24 to $28 after tax money would be about $32 to $36 before taxes someone would have to earn. It doesn’t take many little items together to make a big deal.

Best wishes,
Agnut

P.S. I saw a chart yesterday comparing discretionary income with wages. This discretionary income disappeared in 2007-8, about the same time I wrote that I had seen it disappear in my dealings. And from 2007-8, the discretionary spending line went under the wages line. This means that deficit spending was becoming common nationwide. Can’t run a country or business this way and can’t run personal finances this way either. There will be an end to this deficit spending soon and when it happens, millions will discover that they have met their own financial event horizon.

The uncertainty of how this will all play out shouldn’t dissuade us from acting to protect and prepare ourselves for this future. Diversification is required here.

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
Robert A. Heinlein

I would add the skill of bartering and horse trading.

[Spectrism]

Sounds like you have been doing very well Agnut!

All those towels for a few bucks! Nice.... and the canning jars...

The ability to buy fine art when it is out of season is not to be shunned- I agree. Fine workmanship will only be neglected for a while.


The old canned food I found was sorted. There were some questionable things I pitched out. I also got to see how canned items age. In all of our stores, we need to watch for discoloration of the labels at the seams. Also, any seam that has rust, even rust from the outside, needs to be questioned. Be in the habit of checking all canned items you open. My best guess is: first do a visual and sniff test. If it smells "off", throw it out. Empty the contents and look at the condition inside the can. If corrosion is seen, throw it out. Cooking the canned item to a boil with the heat thoroughly mixed through all the contents should be considered.


Yes- it seems that those trying to move are giving away what they don't want to carry with them. Those are excellent deal places. Estate sales often are the children just trying to clean out the house for a sale.

Also, my experience of leaving a phone number has been confirmed again. NO CALLS. The sale must be immediate... impulse sales. If you don't get it on sight, it will go to the next person who is there with cash.

[Spectrism]

A few little bargains-

-a 1.7oz Sterling fork for $1.
-a box of light bulbs, 2 spools of 14AWG wire, 2 spools of lead solder for $10.
-a grape crusher for wine-making for free.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. I’ve been busy getting ready for hunkering down this winter and not only for inclement weather. Cars to fix, shelves and platforms to build, summer and fall garage and estate items to box up and store away. Oh, and I almost forgot. I still have two 3,500 gallon water containers that I have to clean out, have moved, set up and filled. But before they can be moved, I have to design a hopper and connection to remove the many gallons of earth in the bottom. This is something we should consider before buying a large item. I feel like Br’er Rabbit stuck in the tarbaby. So I am still learning and making mistakes; it goes with the territory.

There is another reason for us to get set up for the months ahead; things could deteriorate greatly, thus disrupting normal commerce as we know and expect it. This Occupy Wall Street movement is so far a relatively peaceful situation which could turn violent at any time. The people have said ‘Enough is enough. Straighten things out or else”. I don’t think TPTB could straighten things out even if they wanted to. So I believe that we will come to a day of reckoning.

But I digress. On to some of the items I’ve picked up in the last few weeks. By the way I give these with prices in order to give readers some reference as to what they should be paying. The prices can vary greatly; it is each of our own decision as to the item’s value to your own lifestyle. Me ? I am a hopeless art lover and sometimes pick up something just because it has touched me somehow. Not a for profit deal but some things draw me to them. I know; I shouldn’t overdo it but who is to say what the “profit” is in an item acquired ? Profits come in different ways. Could be a piece of incredible art. Could be for a profitable sale later. Could be a gift for a loved one. Could be for a donation to a homeless shelter. There must be other reasons; that’s for all of us to discover.

I’m going to take a minute here and write about something that has been on my mind lately.

There has been a great increase in garage sale and estate sale attendance since the economy has degraded in the last couple of years. Actually I noticed it in July 2007 while holding a garage sale at my sister’s home. Several people coming by but almost no one buying anything except items for a dollar or less. The only item I sold was a collector fishing reel for $100. It was beautiful and came in a hard case. I didn’t even have it displayed but a man asked me if I had any fishing gear. He bought it on the spot with no haggling; it may have been worth a lot more but I couldn’t find a relative value in searching the internet. I had acquired it as a thank you for helping someone with an estate sale. The son who was holding the sale talked with me and I brought the conversation around to precious metals and I told him the silver story. I gave him a silver round which I was in the habit of carrying around. He had this amazed look on his face while looking at the silver round in his hand; it was like a new world opening up to him. Afterwards he took out this fishing reel and gave it to me as a thanks for the help and silver round. That was about 9 years ago and I had been carrying this reel around for some time. Point is, when selling some things that have a personal attachment, take your time before parting with these things. You may never be able to replace them.

On the other hand, there is a time to part with personal items. And it is just that; personal. Just like when we buy items for resale and calculate their resale value, items with a personal attachment should be weighed against their loss of possession with a partial consideration of what we may be able to do with the money. For instance, I have a French Limoges enamel on copper painting which measures only 4 ½ “ by 3”. I’ve had it for about 10 years and am still amazed at its quality. It is one of the only enamels that is so detailed that from 2 foot away appears to be a photograph. And with this perfectionism I can feel some connection to the artist and the times in which he lived, almost 100 years ago in Limoges France. A different world indeed and to have something from that era is a treasure beyond what money it may fetch. I suppose there is a price I would part with it but it is far beyond for what I could sell it right now.

So I felt I should make you aware of some of the emotional feeling you may have while out there buying in a world of different items, many of which you may have never before seen or even knew existed. Things like toasters out of the 1950s or a juicer from the 1960s or a piece of art or even music from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. I can’t help but be grateful for all of the fascinating encounters with the people selling as well as some of their items for sale. It has been a rich education like no other.

I’ll close here and write of the items recently found in my next post.

Best wishes (and happy hunting),

Agnut

[agnut]

Okay, here’s some of the recent finds :

Craftsman router $25
19 new router bits $25
2 French fry slicers $2 each
Weber charcoal BBQ $5
Pool pump with hoses $10
Ethan Allen maple dining room table with 4 chairs and 2 leaves $60
Black and Decker cut saw $5
4 new stereo speakers $20
Stihl chain saw with hard case $25
2 2’X2” floor fans $1 each
Stant cooling system pressure tester $5
Proto ½ “ ratchet with ¾ Craftsman socket $1
Proto compression gauge with detachable flex hose $2
Sioux ½ “ drill $2
50 foot extension cord $2
100 foot extension cord $5
Huge collection Mother Earth News free
25 drawer bin rack with over 500 electrical connectors $5
50 drawer bin rack full of misc bolts, washers, etc. $10
50 Disney videotapes 25 cents each
Shovel $2
25 DVD movies 50 cents each
Italian leather sport jacket, brand new $2

There is also a lot more odds and ends that I have been picking up for 5 to 10 cents on the dollar compared to store prices.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Thanks Mneagle for your post #103. I had missed responding to it in my confused state.

That is some really wise advice when you are holding a garage sale. In the last year I have been noticing more “professional” garage sale buyers who are reselling at their own garage sales. A big sigh of the times.

[MNeagle]

I am curious Agnut,

if you ever have sales yourself; or are you just stocking these items (screaming deals I'll admit!).

AND, if you do have some sales, do you agree to haggling on prices?